Lay of the land idiom

The idiom lay it on thick may also be expressed as pour it on thick, spread it on thick, or lay it on with a trowel. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Lay out phrasal verb definition and synonyms macmillan. The lay of the land phrase definition and synonyms. Us the lay of the land the shape or height of the land. An astonishing meditation on america today and filled with brilliant insights, the lay of the land is a magnificent achievement from one of the most celebrated chroniclers of our time. Lay the is contained in 7 matches in merriamwebster dictionary. The lay of the land is the way something is organised, runs, is arranged, etc. Land kingdom of the thunder dragon bhutan land reich n des donnerdrachens.

Definition and synonyms of the lay of the land from the online english dictionary from macmillan education this is the british english definition of the lay of the land. From what youve just said however, using it suggests that you have a somewhat relaxed and familiar relationship with the person you are talking to. Frank bascombe returns, with a new lease on life and real est. He noted well the locality, the trees, and the lay of the land. Bascombe trilogy 3 kindle edition by ford, richard. Lay down definition and meaning collins english dictionary. Thus, lay of the land means how the land has been placed. The teacher told the students to lay off the new student.

The lay of the land is defined as the natural features of a geographic area or the existing situation or state of affairs. Used as an idiom, this expression simply means to have an understanding of the situation or the way things are done. If you lay something down, you put it down, usually because you have finished using it. A lot of people, especially those new to the city, have no concept of the lay of the land.

Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the lay of the land. Lay of the land or lie of the land idiom definition grammarist. Definition of lay of the land by the dictionary of american idioms. Lay of the land definition of lay of the land by merriam. When hillwalking, be guided by the lay of the land. And rightly or wrongly i think rightly people have been using the lay of the land to mean pretty much the same thing for a long time. Get the lay of the land definition and meaning collins. Literally, the lay of the land is the arrangement of features upon the land. Getting the lay of the land at the office might mean understanding the social and professional pecking order to understand who controls group dynamics, who has the greatest influence and whom to avoid. Because he knew the lay of the land, he could run faster in the darkness than his pursuer.

Difference between lay of the land and lie of the land. Lay of the land definition of lay of the land by the. We asked a few questions to get the lay of the land. Top lay of the land synonyms idioms only are state of affairs, how the land lies and how things stand. A related expression is how the land lies, as in lets be cautious till we know how the land lies. To get the lay of the land definition of to get the lay. Lay of the land is a common english idiom, literally meaning to get a sense of the geography of a place, but probably more commonly used metaphorically, as in how your new job. Dictionary grammar blog school scrabble thesaurus translator quiz more resources more from collins. Lay of the land dictionary definition lay of the land.

The styleof house the contractor builds depends partly on the lay of the land. Lay of the land dictionary definition lay of the land defined. Definition of lay of the land in the idioms dictionary. The geologist studied the lay of the land, trying to determine if there was oil below. Top land synonyms idioms only are real estate, terra firma and piece of land. One usually assesses the lay of the land in preparation for action. We checked the lay of the land before we put up our tent at the camping site. Change your default dictionary to american english. The modern definitions for lay or lie for british english do not include the meaning needed for this idiom, but must have at some point. View american english definition of the lay of the land change your default dictionary to american english.

The lie of the land meaning in the cambridge english. The nature, arrangement, or disposition of something, the general state of affairs, as in once we know the lay of the land, we can plan our advertising campaign. I was taught the phrase should be lie of the land, as in how the land lies a metaphorical reference to the landscape itself and its suitability for what one wanted to. An idiom is a word, group of words or phrase, or phrasal verbs that have a figurative meaning that is not easily deduced from its literal definition. Lay of the land definition is the disposition of circumstances which one is considering. That, or some other factor is needed to explain from whence the phrase evolved. Lay of the land is a phrase that figuratively or metaphorically means the current state of affairs, how something is organized. Not knowing these will make english impossible to understand.

Definition and synonyms of lay out from the online english dictionary from macmillan education. I took a walk through town the other day to get the lay of the land. As soon as i get the lay of the land in my new job, things will. From longman dictionary of contemporary englishthe lay of the landthe lay of the landa happenthe situation that exists at a particular time get the lay of the.

However, there is a phrase the lie of the land, which means literally the shape of the physical landscape and figuratively the situation. Phrase with special meaning functioning as verbfor example, put their heads together, come to an end. Lie of the land, assuming you are not talking about falsehoods told by politicians, means the state in which the land exists, or the terrain of the land. The lay of the land denial of land rights, benefits of land reforms, to dalits and tribals is the primary cause of social tension and violence in gujarat.

I frequently hear the phrase lay of the land, typically referring to a situation or condition that might affect some plan of action. Lay of the land e5 wizards and knights and fire oh my. Lay of the land e6 i really shouldnt have gone down there by admiral lemon. These are the meanings that are used in the phrases lay of the land and lie of the land. Lay of the land or lie of the land idiom definition. Get the lay of the land definition and meaning collins english. The lay of the land definition of the lay of the land by merriam. Lay claim to definition, to demand by or as by virtue of a right. I did not know the exact route, but steered by the lay of the land, as i do in boston. Lay of the land definition, the general state or condition of affairs under consideration. A huge amount of spoken and written english is made up of idioms, slang, and expressions. A related idiom is the british phrase how the land lies, a usage that turns up in about 1700. Definition of the lay of the land in the idioms dictionary. We need to get the lay of the land before we suggest what improvements should be done in that neighborhood.